It has been four months since Father Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian priest
from the Bengaluru province of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Yemen, was
abducted by suspected ISIS members after they stormed into the old age
home, killing 16 people including four nuns out of which one was Indian.

There had been speculations that Yemeni franchise of Islamic State, the self-proclaimed
caliphate based in Syria and Iraq, crucified Father Tom, but there was
no confirmation regarding this even though Foreign Minister Sushma
Swaraj said the priest was safe and the ministry is doing everything
needed for his safe return.

Now, video and images of Father Tom being brutally beaten by his
abductors have surfaced in social media and the same has been posted on
his Facebook wall. In the photo, Father Tom looks very fragile and can
be seen with an overgrown beard. On the other hand, the video of that of
the alleged ISIS abductors thrashing and beating Father Tom has caused
worries to his family back in Kollam, who fear for his life.
There are also reports that it is the anti-government rebel forces rather than ISIS, who have kept the priest in captive.

The video of blindfolded Father Tom being beaten up by
more than one of his abductors was posted on Facebook by Pravachaka
Sabdam, a news portal that updates provide information for people about
Christianity.
According to a few sections of the media, the kidnappers of Father
Tom might have hacked into his account and posted his pictures, tagging
some of his friends in it to spread worries. Also, relatives of Father
Tom received an image of him, blindfolded, a two weeks before, which is
believed to be taken along with the images that have now appeared on his
Facebook profile.

Also, a few of Father Tom have also got messages from
his Facebook profile claiming that the health of Catholic Priest has
deteriorated and needs immediate medical attention.
The caption of the photo reads “Fr. Tom’s Entreaty will be uploaded soon…!”.

According to the Ministry of External affairs, they have received
confirmation that Father Tom is kept captive in Yemen, but the
ministry is clueless of the exact location to track him. One of the
biggest hurdles in front of the ministry is the isolation of Yemen from
the rest of the world.
The Indian Embassy in Yemen was closed down soon after ISIS took
control over major parts of the country. Also, the ministry had
conducted a large scale evacuation operation to bring back Indians stuck
in the battle ridden Yemen.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India(CBCI) had earlier sent a
delegation to meet Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj who said the
government was doing everything for the safe return of Father Tom. She
also told them that the government was in negotiation with Father Tom’s
abductors, who, according to sources, have asked for a hefty ransom
amount.
Members of Parliament from Kerala are set to meet the Foreign
Minister on Wednesday to discuss all possible options in facilitating
the safe return of Father Tom Uzhunnalil. Also, Kerala MP Jose K Mani
has raised the issue in the parliament on Wednesday and has moved
a privilege motion.
Even though the video that has surfaced now has the terrorists
assaulting the old priest, his relatives back home have now got a new
lease of hope as they now believe that Father Tom is alive in Yemen.

Not in the hands of ISIS

A relative of the priest, Augustine, told The News Minute: "Many people in the family have checked the picture and feel it is Father Uzhunnalil's. "This is the first time such a picture has come," he added. "The only solace is that we know he is alive."Augustine said that the family were waiting for the priest's plea to be
posted online, and that they believe he has been taken captive by a
smaller militant group – not ISIS, as has been widely reported.

Kottayam: Four months after he was abducted by terrorists in Yemen, a
picture of Keralite priest Fr Tom Uzhunnalil surfaced on his Facebook
page on Tuesday. The person who posted the image claimed that he is the
Catholic priest's 'Yemeni friend,' and responded to messages from Fr Tom's friends on Facebook with a video he said to have found on Twitter.

The video, which was re-posted on Facebook by Pravachaka Sabdam, shows a blindfolded man being assaulted by some men.

Apparently, the 'friend' alleged that claims by the authorities about the priest's safety do not hold water and that the father is being mistreated by his abductors. In the photograph, the Salesian priest looks weak and skinny with a
full grown beard and a gray mop of hair. 'An entreaty seeking his
release will be uploaded soon,' the caption of the photo reads thus.

he Yemeni claimed that the priest had assigned him to post on his social
media account to reveal the truth about his abduction and to seek help.
Though there has been no official confirmation that the person shown in
the video and photo is Fr Tom, his relatives have confirmed that it's
him in the photograph.

However, the Salesian Church authorities said they are yet to confirm the authenticity of the image, Manorama News
reported Wednesday. The church authorities are also seeking Vatican's
help for the release of the priest. Discussions will be held through the
vicariate of Saudi Arabia, the report said.

New Delhi: Efforts are being made to secure release
of priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil who has been abducted in war-torn Yemen
but such attempts take time, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, while asking members to "keep faith" in
the government.
Swaraj said Prime Minister Narendra Modi
himself has spoken to various countries through which contacts can be
established in Yemen where India does not have an Embassy of its own.
The issue was raised by members from Kerala who said disturbing pictures of Fr Uzhunnalil were appearing in the social media.